Need Help Choice & Source of Acrylic

[RollTide]

Hey,
I’m new here & to the business.

I’m starting a print business where I will print art onto acrylic cut to shape.
First off I’m looking for anyone I can bounce ideas off of to guide me through starting this business.
I’m purchasing a Vanguard UV printer and a Colex cutter.

1. Im looking for which acrylic to try to print on? And what source should I use to obtain and lastly pricing guidance?
.75 thickness and .50 thickness.

 

[White Haus]

Welcome to Signs 101.

You're about to spend a quarter million on equipment but want an internet forum to tell you which material to get, where to get it and how much to charge?

Don't mean to come across as an asshole, just want to make sure I'm understanding the request here.

What kind of market research have you performed? How did you come to the conclusion that you'd go with those brands, and do you know how much they cost?

Show your homework, and maybe someone will help you.

Good luck.

 

[signheremd]

First thing to do is find out what sign supply companies deliver in your area. You can also look up to see if you have acrylic distributors or fabricators local to you (we do and sometimes they have better prices). Acrylic sheets are expensive to ship... A fabricator could be particularly useful in that they can finish edges, cut to size, drill holes, etc. Remember that you cannot use alcohol on polished edge acrylic as it will cause the edges to fracture. You will also want to find a plastic cleaner/prep so that your UV ink holds to the acrylic better. Solv S1000 or Matthews Paint and Plastic Cleaner/Prep are two such, others may have other good suggestions. As to the Vanguard, there are quite a few good UV printers and a wide range of prices. We use a FluidColor flatbed printer and really like it - price and reliability and quality are excellent on it. More important than brand is service by the company that sells it. You need support so that down time is minimized as that costs you money. If you are in this long enough you will deal with every problem, so don't pinch pennies and cost yourself dollars down the road. Sales pitches and marketing points are designed to make one brand seem better than another. Some claim speed, but then the actual production speed you run at is the same as another. This is a business decision, so look at dollars invested to do the same job versus your current volume - printer should pay its self off within 5 years - if volume is greater at that point, upgrade to a faster machine. In general, it is better to get two rows of CMYK than one of CMYKLcLmLk as color range improvements compared to speed favor speed as more profitable.

 

[marunr]

signheremd is correct. We are a plastic supplier/fabricator and sell to local sign shops and anyone needing plastic. Pricing is the advantage, and we can cut to whatever sign you want, which saves you a lot of waste. As far as the printing goes, we also use a Vanguard printer, and it's a great machine, but if you are using UV inks you will have a lot of trouble keeping them from chipping if you cut through the ink, especially if you lay down white. We cut first and print second.

 

[Gino]

Are these finished products gonna be for outside use or indoors ??

 

[RollTide]

Welcome to Signs 101.

You're about to spend a quarter million on equipment but want an internet forum to tell you which material to get, where to get it and how much to charge?

Don't mean to come across as an asshole, just want to make sure I'm understanding the request here.

What kind of market research have you performed? How did you come to the conclusion that you'd go with those brands, and do you know how much they cost?

Show your homework, and maybe someone will help you.

Good luck.

Are these finished products gonna be for outside use or indoors ??

home decor

 

[RollTide]

First thing to do is find out what sign supply companies deliver in your area. You can also look up to see if you have acrylic distributors or fabricators local to you (we do and sometimes they have better prices). Acrylic sheets are expensive to ship... A fabricator could be particularly useful in that they can finish edges, cut to size, drill holes, etc. Remember that you cannot use alcohol on polished edge acrylic as it will cause the edges to fracture. You will also want to find a plastic cleaner/prep so that your UV ink holds to the acrylic better. Solv S1000 or Matthews Paint and Plastic Cleaner/Prep are two such, others may have other good suggestions. As to the Vanguard, there are quite a few good UV printers and a wide range of prices. We use a FluidColor flatbed printer and really like it - price and reliability and quality are excellent on it. More important than brand is service by the company that sells it. You need support so that down time is minimized as that costs you money. If you are in this long enough you will deal with every problem, so don't pinch pennies and cost yourself dollars down the road. Sales pitches and marketing points are designed to make one brand seem better than another. Some claim speed, but then the actual production speed you run at is the same as another. This is a business decision, so look at dollars invested to do the same job versus your current volume - printer should pay its self off within 5 years - if volume is greater at that point, upgrade to a faster machine. In general, it is better to get two rows of CMYK than one of CMYKLcLmLk as color range improvements compared to speed favor speed as more profitable.

Great info, thanks.